College hoops fans crown Paige Bueckers' 18-year-old teammate as Freshman of the Year after UConn destroys Holy Cross

Paige Bueckers was named the Freshman of the Year in 2021 and it looks like this season's winner could also be from UConn. No. 1 recruit Sarah Strong scored big in the Huskies' 88-52 win over Holy Cross on Tuesday.

Strong finished with 22 points, seven rebounds, two assist assists and steals. She made 9 of 12 shots, including 4 of 5 3-pointers.

Fans on X praised the forward for showing out and making her mark on second-ranked UConn's stacked team.

"FOTY & NPOTY🙂‍↕️," one fan wrote.

"Sarah Strong THE freshman of the year enough said she’s just different," a fan commented.

"Truly, we’ve seen enough. Sarah Strong is absolutely NFOY & she is in the running for NPOY. Idc! Idc!" another fan wrote.

Some fans made predictions and expressed their admiration for Strong.

"Had a feeling she’d have a good game! 🔥," one user wrote

"@thesarahstrong is a superstar ✨ and will be key 🔑 for Coach Auriemma's 12th NCAA championship!," one fan commented

"Yeah, your freshman isn’t better than Sarah Strong. they just aren’t. sarah got Geno’s message," a fan wrote.

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Sarah Strong's important role in helping Paige Bueckers achieve her dream

Sarah Strong filled a crucial role for the UConn Huskies, who lost forward Aaliyah Edwards to the WNBA draft this year. Edwards, with Paige Bueckers and Nika Muhl, provided the core who pushed UConn to the Final Four last season.

Averaging 15.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists, Strong is proving to be a key member of the UConn squad as it attempts to finally bring home another national championship.

Paige Bueckers praised Sarah Strong in a preseason interview with CT Insider in October.

"Sarah has done a really good job," Bueckers said. "I would say she is more like a really big guard, but she will get in there in the post. She has guard skills, as well. She knows how to play the game."

"The biggest thing is her I.Q. She knows how to play. Coming in as a freshman, that is a great thing to have. She is aggressive. She can shoot. She can pass. She can score at all three levels, and she even rebounds well."

This is Paige Bueckers' final season with the UConn Huskies, and the pressure is on her to win the title that she nearly missed twice, as a senior and as a sophomore.

Up next, Bueckers will lead the Huskies against Louisville on Saturday.